Is this happening again?
If customs open it, absolutely nothing happens – apart from destruction under customs supervision – which isn’t even charged for, provided no intent can be proven.
Apart from that, perhaps 5% of parcels are checked, and of those, perhaps another 5% are actually sent on.
Unfortunately. Some unexplained deaths could be avoided through proper checks.
Yes. I know what I’m talking about (after all, I’m a chemist and, in some areas, also an expert/state-appointed assessor). Yes, I often don’t take the handling of things too seriously either. But unlike many other hobbyists with a penchant for experimentation, I know what I’m doing.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Hofrat Eder addressed his work exclusively to knowledgeable individuals. That was a situation quite different from the one we face today: back then, budding laboratory technicians knew their stuff to some extent; back then, photography was more of an academic pursuit within the faculties of physics, chemistry and natural sciences. Which is certainly not something one can say of today’s newcomers.
I need only look at these constant mix-ups between Cr(IV), Cr(VI), ‘chromate’, ‘dichromate’, ‘potassium dibromide’, ‘ferrocyanide’ or similar terms, some of which are even completely misspelled (I’ve just slipped in two mistakes myself... Whoever spots them gets a biscuit).
The sheer cluelessness practically drips from every other question.
First, read and understand a simple Mortimer (the book should be available to borrow from any local library), then read and understand the Blendl script. And perhaps spend a couple of afternoons at the local chemist’s learning the basics of proper laboratory work.
But don’t start ‘shaking and pouring’ in your local kitchen, possibly on the kitchen worktop. It’ll backfire and poison your own children first. Just cleaning it up visually doesn’t always help.
This advice is neither binding nor actually advice, nor will you be billed for it. Just plain standard German, really.
If necessary, I’ll just carry out the analysis in the household where, for some inexplicable reason, acute heavy metal poisoning suddenly occurred. That will cost a bit of money, though. Plus the public prosecutor, plus all the other hassle: quite expensive. You’ll have to hire a doctor or a public prosecutor. Never mind. A nice bit of extra income for me. And I don’t even feel bad about making money at the expense of the descendants of poisoned, deceased people and knowing that the perpetrators are behind bars. Just to put it plainly. Usually, nothing is inherited afterwards. Gross negligence (which I usually have to certify without wanting to) is enough for that.
But you can prevent that. If you learn the ropes first and then get started. And that’s exactly what our legislation is for. In plain English. If necessary, lawyers can also explain these regulations in the form of a temporary replacement.
Best regards,
Franz
